Recognise the Different Parts of the Human Digestive System

It's time to review your understanding of the way in which your digestive system works! You up for the challenge?

 

 

Do you know the basics? The food in your mouth is chewed up by your teeth. Why?

 

 

So that it's easier to swallow and so your stomach and intestines can get to work on all of it more quickly.

 

It goes down your oesophagus (also spelt esophagus), and into your stomach. What happens to it there?

 

 

The mashed-up food spends 2-3 hours in there, being mixed around with lots of digestive chemicals, until it's ready to move on into the small intestine.

 

 

Here's where the main work of digestion happens: the solid food you ate has been turned to liquid and is now ready to pass across the intestine (gut) wall and into your blood. Now those nutrients can be sent all over the body to provide energy for your body's activities.

 

What happens to what's left over of the food?

 

It passes into the large intestine and any water left in it passes across the gut wall and into the blood. The rest carries on to wait in the rectum before you go to the toilet and remove those faeces (poo) from your body.

 

 

So, what does the whole system look like? You've probably seen this sort of diagram before - have you drawn one yourself?

 

Now, it might be a good idea just to read through this again, and look over the diagram, before tackling the questions.

 

(By the way, when you're answering the questions, if you want to come back and look at anything on this page, click the pink button on the right-hand side of the screen, and it'll bring you back here).